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232 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
almost say on one particular ant-hill. Mr. I. E. Buckley found them 
common in Natal as well as in the Transvaal, sitting about on the 
small ant-heaps, and resembling Sazxicola mionticola in their habits. 
Mr. Ayres writes :—I first met with this Chat near the Tugela 
river in the upper district of Natal, and found that it gradually 
became more plentiful over the Drakenberg, in the Free State and 
Transvaal Republic. These birds often rise a short distance in the 
air with a fluttering flight, but are mostly seen perched on the ant- 
heaps which abound in this country. They feed on insects.” Mr. 
Andersson has the following note :—‘I have met with this species, 
though only sparingly, in Damara Land, and in the parts adjacent 
to the north and east, but I do not recollect having seen it in Great 
Namaqua Land. It always occurs in pairs in open localities inter- 
spersed with bush, on which, or on ant-hills, it usually perches. It 
seeks its food on the ground, watching for insects from its elevated 
perch, and when these are observed, descending at once upon them 
and quickly returning to its post of observation. Its flight is 
straight, and it moves its short wings with extraordinary rapidity ; 
but it does not go far at a time, and I never found any difficulty in 
approaching it.” 
Generally of a sombre-brown colour, paler on the belly and under 
the tail; the throat clouded with reddish, the same colour bordering 
the feathers of the front of the neck and chest; a prominent white 
patch adorns the shoulders of the male; the wing-feathers have also 
white webs. The female wants the white shoulders, and is of a 
deeper brown. Length, 7” 6’”; wing, 4”; tail, 3’. 
Fig. Le Vaill. Ois. d’Afr. pl. 186. 
218. THAMNOBIA CINNAMOMEIVENTRIS. : 
Southern White-shouldered Bush-Chat. 
Saxicola rufiventer, and S. albiscapulata, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 106. 
Dr. Burchell met with this species during his travels in South 
Africa. We have only seen it from the eastern districts, and our 
first specimens were forwarded from “ Highlands,” near Grahams- 
town, by Mrs. Barber, at whose residence we saw it in some abun- 
dance in March and April. It is a lively bird, ever on the move, 
and feeds on insects of various kinds, which it catches in the bush. 
We have also received a large series of specimens from Mr. T. C, 
Atmore, all procured in the neighbourhood of Eland’s Post. Dr. 
